Lucky
by brandtfan
Summary: If Steve had known what lay ahead for him on this quick trip to Los Angeles, he wouldn't have left the house that morning. But he's lucky, he has his best friend, brother and partner along side him.. or so Danny thinks, anyway! Steve and Danny have different ideas of what 'lucky' is! Bad summary for a short one shot -.-


If Steve McGarrett had known what he'd be getting himself into when he left the house that morning, he would've never gotten out of bed in the first place.

It was supposed to be a quick trip. Just to meet with the Ops director for NCIS's Los Angeles office in the morning and maybe if he was lucky, spend tonight grabbing a beer and a good meal with his old buddy Sam Hanna. However, he realized, when that trip involves Detective Danny Williams, the last thing you will be is lucky. Steve was learning that all too well when he agreed to take his partner with him, even though he could've collected the information alone. Between what seemed like constant security leaks and the nature of the information pertinent to their current case, Steve didn't feel comfortable with any other option but getting it direct and in person.

"If I hear one 'are we there yet, Danno." The SEAL warned as they boarded their flight at Honolulu International that morning.

"Please," Danny retorted. "I am the best air traveller you will ever have the pleasure of travelling with, my friend. That is of course, if you let me just keep to myself this time, and, not to mention not judging my choice of move, please."

"You're still on me about Maui, huh? I thought we were past that, I mean, I guess maybe we should go do that boot camp again, then?" Steve teased, and they both knew it.

Danny spoke as they shimmied towards their seats and he checked his ticket one more time. "I make you a deal, you never make me do that again and I won't say a word for the whole flight."

"Oh, is that so?" Steve couldn't hide the amused grin from his face. "I have my doubts, though. And, I mean, your track record at being pleasant while travelling other ways than flying, in my experience isn't exactly the best either, buddy."

Danny snorted as they found their seats and stowed their overhead luggage. "What," He snorted again as Steve sat down. "You're talking about riding in the car with me?" His question earned a silent nod in response. "Well, you don't have to worry about a thing, because," Danny assured his friend. "the difference here is that you are not in control of this aircraft. Which means, I feel perfectly safe." He finished with a smirk.

Steve on the other hand just continued casting a disapproving glance. "Okay, if you're going to be like this the whole flight, I'm going to change seats."

"Oh ho,!" Danny chimed excitedly. "Is that all it'll take? A little prodding, little poking, huh? Then why didn't you say something earlier! I could've started back at the house, and you could've booked yourself on a different flight altogether." His grin was as large as the amusement getting to tease his friend gave him.

Steve shook his head as the shorter man shuffled to let some other passengers by. "You were the one who insisted we both go, alright? So, just accept that and let's move on."

"Oh, with pleasure." Danny huffed sarcastically. "So if you could just move, I'll take my seat and we can do exactly that." He motioned to the three seat section, with Steve the only one occupying a seat in front of him as he spoke.

"Sir, if you could take your seat, we'll be beginning our pre-flight instructions in just a few moments." A tall blonde flight attendant with way too bright of a smile asked as she came up behind him.

"Certainly," Danny gave her a quick nod and charming grin as she shuffled past them. "What are you doing?" his attention turned suddenly to his partner. "That's my seat." The look of displeasure on his face was exactly the opposite of the pleasant expression he'd just given the flight attendant.

"What? Are you serious? Are you twelve?" Steve shot back with a disapproving huff.

"12A, Steven." Danny retorted as he felt the flight attendants' gaze on him. "That is the seat listed on my ticket. This," he pointed his fingers down towards the arms of the seat to further emphasis his argument. "This is 12B. This is your seat. Me? I'm in 12A right there." He pointed to the seat Steve was in while giving him a haughty smile. "Now move, would you? I'm pretty sure she's gonna come back and I dunno, kick me off the plane or something if I don't sit down. Not to mention delaying take off, and uh, angering all these other nice people here, so." He tossed his head to the side, clearly signalling to Steve.

The Navy SEAL kept a stone face as he crossed his arms still sitting in the seat. "Hey, see? Maybe, like I said before, we don't _both_ need to go, huh?"

"Sir," Danny heard the voice, this time coming from another flight attendant.

He very reluctantly shimmied in and sat in the aisle seat, keeping the middle seat empty strategically. "C'mon, Steve. They're ganging up on me now. Would you just give me my assigned seat, already?"

"Think about it this way, Danny." He began, making no effort to move. "It's a five-hour flight to LAX," He explained with arms still crossed. "And I have it on good authority that you will need frequent bathroom breaks, so you should take the seat closer to the aisle." He shrugged to convey the trivial nature of the issue. "It's logistics, Danny. It makes more sense for me to take the window seat."

"Oh, funny." Danny laughed genuinely. "Your attempt to justify needing to control where I sit on this airplane is amusing, but it is not going to work okay? Besides, isn't there a statistic about people sitting in the aisle are five times more likely to be impacted in a crash or something?" he asked with a few hand gestures.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before finally motioning that he was going to move. "I've never heard of anything like that, and besides you won't be in the aisle, you'll be in the middle which is probably the safest anyway. And it looks like you're lucky and the aisle seat is empty. I think you're wrong, pal. I'm looking out for you, don't you see that?" He added, trying really hard to hide the smirk on his face.

The Jersey native shifted too and finally, landed in the window seat. Clearly making a display of getting more comfortable. "No, actually I don't. Because, according to my ticket, Steve, _this_ is my correct seat."

"Sir, if you could _please_ buckle up?" the first, now less than happy looking flight attendant spoke as she walked up the aisle towards them again. After an eye roll and his hands put up in surrender, Steve reached around for the middle belt before she could make it to their row.

He too made himself as comfortable as possible before saying another word to his partner. As soon as the cabin crew were done their speech and demonstration, Steve leaned in to his partner with a devilish grin. "You need the bathroom yet?"

Danny, Steve discovered a second later was all but oblivious. He had popped earbuds in as a precautionary measure long before there was another opportunity for his partner to tease him.

Steve was just about to get his attention when the passenger sitting across the aisle from him leaned towards him, clearly an attempt to get his attention. "Excuse me, I uh, I don't mean to intrude," The Lieutenant Commander looked at the man curiously, but let him go on. "I couldn't help but overhear you two and I thought I'd ask if you've ever considered taking separate vacations?"

Immediately a slew of giggles came from the window seat. After Steve sent a menacing glare at his deceptive partner, the stranger gained his attention.

"I know, I know it sounds crazy right?" The man continued. "But let me tell you, my wife and I started doing it a few years ago, and it made all the difference in the world man." He gave Steve a nod as assurance that he was being genuine.

By now Danny was outright laughing at their fellow passenger's assumption. He pulled out an earbud and leaned forward to see the person he was going to be talking to. "Trust me, there's no making a difference with this one. Five years in and he can't seem to stay away from me." He laughed some more, truly enjoying the level of discomfort his little charade was achieving in Steve.

"Really, Danny?" Steve huffed after pointing out the fact that no sound was coming from his earbuds. "Point taken, okay. But I get the window seat on the way home alright?"

"Thank you." Danny nodded peacefully.

"So we're even now?" Steve asked, fully confident of his partner's answer.

"Ha, hahaha." Danny giggled as the airplane prepared for takeoff. "Even? No, not even close. But after some beers, a nice, big, fancy Hollywood meal on you and as many stories about you I can mine from Agent Hanna, we'll see." He popped the second earbud back in as he felt the engines roar beneath his seat.

Steve nodded. "Yeah. I can't wait." He muttered sarcastically as the plane started taxiing.

A couple hours and a bathroom break later, Danny had cast aside all thoughts of this trip not going well.

"By the heels, I swear to you, Hal HaHa, it blew my mind too…" Steve could just barely make out the voice he knew too well as he felt himself drift in and out.

"Well, I've never." A voice Steve thought he recognized spoke, also seeming to come from a distance. "In all my years on the force and all my partners over that time. That's a new one on me." Steve heard chuckling mixed with a slight rattling sound.

"And now you know why I needed this getaway." Danny's voice came again, quickly followed by a group of laughter. Steve still couldn't quite make out whether he was awoken or not, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out either.

"And the whiskey." An unfamiliar female voice added, causing another round of laughter around them. It was followed by more rattling and the unmistakeable sound of glasses clinking together.

"Speaking of which," Danny spoke closer to Steve's ear this time, pushing the Navy vet to open his eyes.

"What're you..?" he trailed off, realizing his partner was very deliberately invading his personal space by reaching atop Steve's seat and pushing the call button. He also realized Danny was now on his other side, but that was the least jarring thing about the situation he quickly learned.

"Steve, you're awake!" The male voice he'd heard as he was waking up spoke. His eyes adjusted very quickly as the surprise of his surroundings hit.

"What..?"

"Oh, I'm ordering our new friends Hal and Nadine here another round." Danny flashed his million-dollar smile as he readjusted himself and gestured to the people in the seats across the aisle. "Well, I guess you are, but who's counting, am I right?" He broadened his grin and took note of the glare being drilled into his soul as he continued. "Hal and Nadine Collins," Danny paused, gesturing between them and Steve. "Meet Steve McGarrett. Steve, meet Hal and Nadine."

"Danny," Nadine jumped in with admonishment. "What did I tell you earlier?" all trace of wrong doing was gone as she let out a flit of laughter.

"Oh, you see? I'm already feeling the whiskey here," Danny responded with a giggle. " Dino, she insists on me calling her Dino." His voice dripped with a highly disturbing level of pleasantness.

Steve just caught the wink coming from his partner as the flight attendant made her appearance beside their row.

"Yes sir, what can I get you?" she asked him, straight to the point. He barely had time to process what was going on around him before she asked again. "Uh, sorry. Um, my partner's had a few too many and hit the button by mistake, I'm so sorry." He tried to acquiesce, already feeling the protest coming from the person between he and the aisle.

Luckily though, she gave him a quick smile and disappeared just as quickly. "Well, that was rude," Danny barely missed a beat before continuing his apparent agenda for this flight. "And I've only had one, thank you. I mean, what kind of professional would I be if I got sloshed when this trip is as much business as it is pleasure?"

"You know what, Danny –" Steve had a rant all prepared but didn't get far, fitting for how this trip was going.

"See, I'm tellin' ya man, Dino and I went to Florida couple years back, booked two different suites. Same hotel so we could have y'know, sexy time," Hal caught the attention of a few other people around them as he, his wife and Danny laughed at his words. "But I swear, best vacation we've ever taken, right honey?"

"Oh, definitely." Nadine agreed with a convincing nod. "If it wasn't for our daughter's wedding last weekend, we wouldn't both have been in Hawaii, that's for sure."

"Yeah, y'know, if I had a nickel for every time I've thought about not being in Hawaii with this guy," Danny huffed lightly and stole a quick glance back to Steve. He flashed a smile so sickeningly sweet, Steve thought he was going to need an air sickness bag.

"Well, with Grace and little Charlie now, it's a different story I guess." Dino reasoned with a kind smile. "You've made a home there, for them and for you it seems." She leaned around, clearly referencing Steve.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Danny smiled genuinely as the three of them clinked glasses again. "I'll think about the separate vacations thing, but I gotta tell you." he paused to look back at a less than impressed Steve. "We're pretty lucky as it is, so y'know." He shrugged and flashed another wily grin at his partner.

"Yeah, I'm feeling real lucky right now." Steve muttered almost so quietly even Danny seated right next to him could barely hear as he reached up for the call button.

"What're you doing?" The Jersey native asked, though he already had a decent idea.

"Catching up to you and your new friends." Steve muttered some more as the straight-faced attendant started up the aisle towards them.

Danny raised his eyebrows, genuinely surprised. "Oh, yeah. Good idea. How lucky was that, huh? Sitting across the aisle from a retired cop? I gotta say, it's made this flight down right enjoyable, buddy. Being able to talk shop and all that, y'know?"

"Oh, I'm feeling the luck." Steve rolled his eyes as he prepared himself to give the drink order, and for the rest of the quick trip that already seemed like it wasn't going to end anytime soon.


End file.
